Women and the Irish nation : gender, associational culture and Irish identity, 1890-1914

At the turn of the twentieth century women played a key role in debates about the nature of the Irish nation. Examining women's participation in nationalist and rural reform groups, this book is an important contribution to our understanding of Irish identity in the prelude to revolution and how it was shaped by women. Women and the Irish Nation is a groundbreaking study of women's associational and print culture, which demonstrates the gendered nature of women's public activism in debates about Irish identity in early twentieth-century Ireland. It examines women's involvement in organizations such as the United Irishwomen, the Gaelic League and the Sinn Fein movement, demonstrating how access to public activism was often highly gendered. Through associational activities and writing for newspapers, women participated in debate about Irish identity by focusing on 'feminine' topics, such as housewifery, cookery and fashion. While operating within the constraints of Edwardian gender ideology, Irish women demonstrated considerable agency in negotiating access to the public space of the press or national associations, often subverting and challenging conventional 'womanly' behaviour. Illustrating how Irish political culture was gendered during this period of intense debate about Irish identity this book will appeal to readers interested in Irish history, women's and gender studies Front Matter....Pages i-x Introduction....Pages 1-8 Women, Gender and National Identity: Theoretical and Comparative Perspectives....Pages 9-28 The Irish Homestead: Women, National Identity and Print Culture....Pages 29-50 The United Irishwomen....Pages 51-86 The Gaelic League....Pages 87-123 Sinn Féin and Radical Nationalist Ireland....Pages 124-154 Conclusion....Pages 155-160 Back Matter....Pages 161-214